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Transfer Targets: Stevan Jovetic

The mop hair, the curly locks and fantastic footballing ability. No, I’m not talking about David Luiz but instead, Fiorentina’s Stevan Jovetic. It isn’t the first time the striker has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge but a bad season for Fiorentina in the league has led to rumours suggesting that their star player will be looking to ply his trade elsewhere.

What do we know about Jovetic?

Jovetic is a star in his own right at the mere age of 22. Montenegro’s best player and Fiorentina’s prized asset, he is no stranger to having high expectations from fans. Jovetic is a player whose potential was seen straight away, breaking into the Partizan team at 16 and becoming their youngest captain when he turned 18. It is also safe to say that The Viola are indebted to their young genius for their 13th placed finish in Serie A for without him it would’ve been a sorry tale. In his 27 appearances he scored 14 goals and added a further 3 assists resulting in him being directly involved 46% of his club’s league goals.

His talent hasn’t only been noticed by Chelsea, Jovetic has no shortage of suitors from across Europe, with Serie A champions Juventus also heavily interested in his situation.

He looks like Sideshow Bob doesn’t he?

What can we expect from him?

You mean apart from the hair? Jovetic isn’t your usual striker. He isn’t going to lead the line on his own but he’s more the Trequarista or second striker that you’d expect plying his trade in Serie A. He has the versatility to play on the wings as well but he’s proven less influential compared to his usual natural position.

Incredible technical ability. His control is brilliant and then some. Some players look comfortable on the ball but Jovetic is naturally at one with it. He has a tendency to find space and the talent to take defenders out the game with his control and dribbling skill. On top of this you can add a quick and sharp footballing brain that enables him to find space regularly through clever movement.

Goal, goal, goal! Jovetic knows where the back of the net is and more importantly he knows how to get the ball into it, even when the pressure is on him to deliver. Without him Fiorentina struggled for goals and points in the league. His inclusion made the whole team better and his performances throughout the year ranked him #10 on WhoScored Serie A players.

Where does he fit in?

With Chelsea more than likely to only play one striker, it is in the same way unlikely that Jovetic is used to play up front on his own. He can be deployed from the wings or just behind the front line striker but with the squad already boasting the likes of Hazard and Mata it is unlikely Jovetic would find himself playing in either of his preferred roles if the team were to set up in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3. However, with a player that is this talented he is sure to put in a performance wherever you play him (I hear he was quite a good keeper in his youth).

What does the expert say?

“Excellent vision as a ‘trequartista’ mixed with great dribbling in and around the box. Also very confident in front of goal and is capable of scoring 10-15 goals a season. Decent passing range and immense control on the ball.” Dylan Fahy

Final Judgement

I’m a big fan of Stevan Jovetic and it is for this reason that a part of me doesn’t want him to come to Stamford Bridge. Nevertheless were he to show up at the front door I wouldn’t have any complaints. His style of play is suited perfectly to Serie A and with the current players at Chelsea already he wouldn’t be moving to a team that will change for him but instead he will likely find himself playing out of position which wouldn’t be the most ideal scenario for a player of his age nor someone with his potential. The other factor is the rumoured fee, which is said to be around the £30million mark, not ridiculously high in comparison to asking prices of other players or even transfers that have occurred recently but it is still a hefty sum of money, especially for a player with a serious injury only 12 months before. Unquestionably an exciting talent but perhaps not the most practical of transfers.